Demand in the UK for retirement villages and specialist senior living housing with care is rising as the market adapts to meet the needs of generations who are living longer, with greater expectations for quality of life. Currently less than 0.5% of older people in the UK live in a retirement village, allowing them to maintain their independence whilst being a part of a larger community, with access to customised, adaptable care on site if it is needed at any point in the future. Compared with other international markets with similar age demographics, wealth distribution and attitudes to home ownership the UK market is in its infancy. As older people see the benefits of this kind of specialist accommodation and it becomes more mainstream we see a potential chain reaction catalysing its popularity.

We have a commitment to provide legal services that underpin sustainable and liveable retirement communities. We guide investors, developers, operators and public authorities through the latest delivery models and structures to deliver successful developments with sustainable returns and improved services.

We are a longstanding corporate support partner of ARCO (the Associated Retirement Community Operators), a trade body representing more than half of retirement housing with care communities in England and whose goal is to raise awareness of and confidence in, as well as to grow, the retirement community model. We have a detailed understanding of the key legal and operational issues facing that sector. We were heavily involved in the Law Commission's review of the "event fees" model and have advised numerous clients on different approaches to these.